I like challenges. So much so that sometimes I create my own.

I guess it comes from my earlier days working in a bustling newsroom. A police scanner in the background, fellow reporters conducting interviews and my fingers feverishly typing to finish my stories and make deadline. That was pretty much my day to day.

And while that’s no longer my daily routine, I’ve found that that work ethic lives on, allowing me to excel under pressure and tight time constraints.

Most days that means cramming in as much writing, social media creation, strategic planning and public relations within the confines of my (err, my daughter’s) busy schedule. I may be my own boss, but my daughter’s schedule paves the way for the bulk of my workdays. There’s time carved out for school pickup, homework help, karate practice (she’s a yellow belt!), dance class and gymnastics.

It may sound like a lot – and sometimes it feels like more than I can handle – but I’ve gotten used to the rhythm.

So much so that in the last few months there were days where I actually felt bored and it seemed like I needed more to do.

…

Enter my brilliant idea of expanding our family with a brand-new, four-legged friend. Not just any pooch, by the way, a puppy.

Now, I always billed myself as “not a dog person” really by any stretch of the imagination. I’m the person who would politely push down a friend’s dog that had jumped up on my lap or sanitize my hand immediately after said dog had licked it.

It was a crazy idea, I knew. My husband responded to my idea with a resounding “no.” It became a challenge to convince him otherwise. I’d show him photos of available dogs and he’d always talk me out of it, at least out of wanting that particular dog.

Then in February I set my eyes on photos of the cutest little puppies ever. Brother and sister. I didn’t care which one we got, so long as one of them became ours. He said no but caved almost right away.

What made these dogs worth it? For my husband, the male reminded him of a beloved dog he had had when he still lived with his parents. For me, the puppies shared a birthday with my daughter and that felt like an omen of sorts. Getting a dog had been pretty much a life goal in her nine years. Dog ownership was something my daughter, an aspiring veterinarian, wanted (badly) and had cried about on numerous occasions.

So, we got our Moxley. By the first day at home he had converted me from “not a dog person” to a dog mom.

He’s a great pet and truly the missing link in our house.

But I mentioned that I like challenges, right? Trying to get work done with this high-energy pup is, at times, difficult, if not impossible. Challenge accepted! I’ve learned to work on my most important tasks of the day during the (frequent) times Moxley naps.

It reminds me of those crazy days as a new mom caring for an infant, not knowing why she was crying or what I could do to help. As my daughter gets older, needs me less and communicates beyond a hungry or tired cry, I guess maybe I needed another little being to come into my life and keep me on my toes.

I did say that I do my best work when I’m in a tight time crunch. And there is perhaps no greater time limit than working around a puppy’s sleep and bathroom schedule.

What challenges have you faced in your personal or business life? I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a line at Theresa@Katalinascommunications.com.